The end of the year is a magical time when you enjoy your well-deserved rest after a busy semester. Many college students get that much-needed pause and a chance to recharge and restore before diving back into academic life. However, it’s also a perfect opportunity to reflect on your past year and set goals for the new one.
Setting new year’s goals during winter break is a way to enter this year with purpose and a clear plan. Use your chance and the slower pace of the holiday season to craft goals that align with your personal, academic, and professional aspirations. Here is how you can do that.
Reflect on the Past Year
Before you can set new goals, take your time to reflect on the highs and lows of the past year. By reflecting, you can understand what is working for you and what can be changed for you to grow. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is my biggest accomplishment of the year?
- What was the hardest part of this semester for me?
- Are there habits and behaviors that I need to change or leave behind in the past year?
- How did I grow professionally, personally, and academically?
Write down your thoughts and journal your challenges and successes to note any patterns you can learn from. This process will give you valuable insights and understanding of how to approach the upcoming year.
Focus on SMART Goals
The most effective way to set new goals is to stick to a SMART technique, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This technique will allow you to avoid vague resolutions but rather set specific goals that you can break down into actionable steps. For example:
- Specific: I want to increase my GPA by half a point by the end of the semester
- Measurable: I will study for at least three hours every weekday
- Achievable: I will focus on improving my performance in these two specific subjects
- Relevant: I want to improve my GPA because it aligns with my goal of applying for an internship
- Time-bound: I will achieve all these goals by the end of the next semester
SMART goals provide a roadmap and clear plan for tracking progress and achieving them.
Set Goals in Key Areas of Your Life
Your new year goals should apply to all aspects of your life, not just academics. As a college student, you probably juggle a lot of responsibilities, so consider setting goals in the following areas:
Academic goals:
- To improve GPA
- To develop a deeper understanding of a subject
- To develop better study habits
- To secure an internship
- To complete a project or thesis
Personal development goals:
- To read one book per month
- To learn a new skill or language
Health goals:
- To exercise three times a week
- To prioritize sleep and aim for eight hours per night
- To cook healthy meals
Financial goals:
- To save a specific amount of money
- To create a monthly budget
- To find a job or side hustle
By setting goals in different areas, you can create a well-rounded plan for growth in all areas of your life.
Break Down Your Goals Into Actionable Steps
Setting big goals is great, but it might seem a little vague or too far away in the future. In order to achieve bigger goals, it’s important to learn how to break them into smaller and more manageable steps. For example, in order to get a new job, you need to update your résumé and LinkedIn profile, research job opportunities, pick a few companies that you like the most, write cover letters for each application, apply, and go through interviews. It’s also important to set deadlines for each step in order to be more proactive and avoid procrastination.
Use Tools and Resources
In order to become more organized and track your progress during the following year, you can use tools and resources such as:
- Planners and journals: Keeping a physical planner or journal can help you understand your emotions and organize your plans and goals.
- Digital apps: Apps like Notion or Trello will help you organize your goals, set reminders, and track your daily progress on academic and non-academic tasks.
- Habit trackers: Habit tracking apps or lists will allow you to monitor progress on your existing habits or new ones that you want to incorporate into your daily routine.
Celebrate Small Victories
Achieving your goals might take a lot of time. However, in order to stay motivated during this journey, you need to address and celebrate small milestones along the way. For example:
- You can treat yourself to a favorite meal after you complete a task
- Take a day off to relax and recharge
- Share your progress with people you love
Your progress reminds you of the effort you put in and the bigger goal in the future, thus making it easier to stay motivated.
Plan for Possible Challenges
Every goal comes with potential difficulties and obstacles. It’s necessary to plan for possible challenges and avoid being off guard when you face them.
Think of things that might prevent you from achieving your goals and how you can overcome these obstacles. Also, look for resources and strategies that will help you stay on track.
Stay Flexible
Planning is good, but being flexible when something isn’t going as planned is also very important. Don’t be afraid to adjust when circumstances evolve and change. If your goal is no longer as relevant or achievable as it used to be at the beginning of the year, revisit your priorities and shift your focus towards new goals.
For example, if you suddenly get an opportunity to study abroad, you should take it if it feels right, even if it was not planned beforehand.
Start Now
Be sure to start working on your plan and your goals during Christmas break instead of waiting for January 1st. This will provide you with more time to reevaluate and reflect, as well as research resources and workshops related to your goals. Begin implementing new healthy habits without waiting for the start of a week, month, or year.
Conclusion
Christmas break is a great time to relax and set yourself up for success. By thinking and reflecting on the past year, you can improve yourself and become a better version professionally, academically, and personally. Planning ahead is a great way to keep yourself motivated and remind yourself of bigger goals that you set for yourself in the future. Remember to stay flexible and celebrate your progress without being too harsh on yourself. With effort and determination, you can make your dreams come true.